NGHIÊN CỨU GIÁ TRỊ CHẨN ĐOÁN CỦA SIÊU ÂM NGỰC Ở TRẺ EM VIÊM PHỔI TẠI BỆNH VIỆN NHI ĐỒNG CẦN THƠ NĂM 2024-2025

Abstract

Background: Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children, and early, accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment. While chest X-rays are commonly used for diagnosis, their limitations have led to growing interest in lung ultrasound as a potential alternative. Objectives: 1) To describe the clinical and paraclinical characteristics of pneumonia; 2) To compare the agreement between lung ultrasound and chest X-ray in diagnosing pneumonia in children. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study with analysis was conducted on 100 pediatric patients diagnosed with pneumonia at Can Tho Children's Hospital from June 2024 to March 2025. Results: The age group with the highest incidence was from 1 to under 6 years (54%). Fever (57%) and cough (17%) were the most common reasons for hospital admission and were also the most frequently observed symptoms (99%). Other common clinical signs included tachypnea (81%) and pulmonary rales (77%). Regarding paraclinical findings, leukocytosis was observed in 45% of cases, and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) in 46%. Chest X-ray was considered the gold standard for definitive diagnosis. There was a good agreement between chest ultrasound and chest X-ray in diagnosing pneumonia (Kappa = 0.693; p <0.001). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.848 (95% CI: 0.636-1.000; p = 0.002). Chest ultrasound demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity at 94.8% and 71.4%, respectively. Conclusion: Lung ultrasound and chest X-ray exhibit good agreement in diagnosing pneumonia in children.